West Bridgewater mourns loss of state trooper who committed suicide

A Massachusetts State Police trooper who was under investigation by the department committed suicide Monday afternoon, State Police said.

By Amy Carboneau

The Enterprise, Brockton, MA

By Amy Carboneau

Posted Jul. 31, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 31, 2013 at 11:02 AM

By Amy Carboneau

Posted Jul. 31, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 31, 2013 at 11:02 AM

WEST BRIDGEWATER

» Social News

On holidays, the state trooper’s wife would often bring food to her town police station, offering homemade items to the officers who had to work.

Having known the family, several West Bridgewater police officers are now mourning the loss of the trooper, identified by Enterprise media partner WCVB-TV 5 as Gregory Jasinskas, who state police say took his own life while under investigation by the department Monday afternoon.

The 40-year-old trooper was found dead in a hotel room in Devens, according to a state police press release.

West Bridgewater Police Lt. Victor Flaherty, the police department’s spokesman, said many of the members in his department are “saddened” by the event.

“It’s tough, it’s a tough situation,” said Flaherty, who added they will help the family however possible. “When you’re in the law enforcement family, you try to do the best you can.”

West Bridgewater officers received a call from state police about 4 p.m. Monday to assist with a health and wellness check at the trooper’s West Bridgewater home, Flaherty said.

The trooper was not home at the time, he added.

Flaherty said local officers aided state police in their search.

State police said they began searching for the trooper “immediately” after receiving calls from two people stating “he intended to harm himself.”

State police, who have not formally released his name, said the trooper served with the state police for eight years and was the subject of an investigation into an alleged criminal act that happened Sunday morning while he was on duty.

He was accused of sexually assaulting a woman he stopped on Route 24 in Canton, and was driving an unmarked vehicle at the time, according to WCVB-TV 5.

West Bridgewater police mourned the loss of one of their own in June, after Sgt. Gregory Ames was found dead in his Bridgewater home in what the district attorney’s office called an unattended death.

“Unfortunately we’ve had this happen to us in the past,” Flaherty said about losing a member of the force.

“I don’t think there’s anything you can say,” he added. “We just hope that everybody just takes the opportunity to reflect a little bit.”